The present invention relates to an adsorbent for removing transforming growth factor-β (hereinafter referred to as “TGF-β”) from body fluids by adsorption, a method for removing TGF-β by using the adsorbent, and an adsorber for TGF-β comprising the adsorbent packed.
TGF-β was purified at the beginning as a growth factor which had a transforming activity for fibroblast, and after that, TGF-β was found to be a substance which had potent inhibitory effects on growth of many kinds of cells. It is also known that TGF-β is deeply involved in cell differentiation, cell migration and cell adhesion as well as control of cell growth, and further, it plays an extremely important part in ontogeny, tissue remodeling, healing of injury, inflammation, immunity and others. TGF-β is a dimeric protein having a molecular weight of about 25,000. Three kinds of TGF-β, i.e., TGF-β1, TGF-β2 and TGF-β3, are known in mammal. They have a 70-80% homology to each other and form a TGF-β family. Abnormal production of TGF-β has been reported on many kinds of diseases. Concerning hemopathy, for example, production of TGF-β increases in acute megakaryocytic leukemia, adult T cell leukemia or Hodgkin's disease, and the relation between the increased production and conditions of each disease has been discussed.
Recently, it is reported that TGF-β is one of substances causing chronic fatigue syndrome which is pathologic fatigue.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (hereinafter referred to as “CFS”) causes intense systemic malaise of unknown origin, febricula, headache, a feeling of exhaustion, a neuropsychic symptom such as thinking disorder or depression, and so on to a person who has lived a healthy life. Because these symptoms continue over a long term, the patient cannot live a healthy life as a member of society. Kuratsune et al. report that the concentration of TGF-β in serum rises in the majority of CFS patients. Therefore, it has been considered that TGF-β occupies an important part in the critical cascade of chronic fatigue syndrome. A treatment of CFS by controlling TGF-β in blood is expected, but there has not been known any way of absorbing and removing TGF-β from body fluids. Therefore, a way of absorbing and removing TGF-β has been much desired. Further, its application to general fatigue is considered as well as pathologic CFS and, therefore, a way of absorbing and removing TGF-β is desired over wider fields.
An object of the present invention is to provide an adsorbent capable of efficiently removing TGF-β present in body fluids.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing TGF-β from body fluids by adsorption with the adsorbent.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing TGF-β from body fluids by adsorption with the adsorbent.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.